Overview
- Banks filed a federal defamation complaint in Los Angeles that names Netflix, two production companies, Netflix Music and the series' co-directors and seeks a jury trial and unspecified damages.
- The suit says Banks gave a roughly three-and-a-half-hour interview for Reality Check but that editors used about 16 minutes and rearranged footage to imply she knowingly allowed a contestant's alleged sexual assault and exploited it for ratings.
- Her lawyers contend unaired material would contradict the series' sequence, including footage in which Banks nods and says, "I do remember her story," a claim the complaint says producers removed to create a misleading impression.
- The filing says Banks was not told about some participants' accusations before her interview, was only allowed to view the series the day before release, and that a March request for full interview tapes was denied by Netflix and EverWonder, according to the complaint.
- The case raises broader questions about documentary practices and the public reevaluation of America's Next Top Model's legacy as Banks' team links the series' portrayal to measurable harm to her brand and businesses.